The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1209, 2 March 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1880.

IMb. Thomas Dxck has teen persuaded to set aside his objections to take office in the Hall Government. It is not known whether he did so under extreme pressure, or whether he fell a willing victim to importunitv. He has, however, accepted the portfolio of Colonial Secretary, and given Otago, or, at all events, Dunedin, another advocate in the Ministry. There is nothing in the news to cause one to go into ecstasies. Mr. Dick i 3 not, and never was, a very able politician. His principal recommendation is that he has no vice, so far as we arc aware. He is a quiet elderly gentleman, who is only roused into anythine like action when waging war against smoking, drinking, or anti-Bible-reading-in-school advocates. The Otago Daily Times seems to think that he will frustrate "sharp practices such as the astute Mr. "Whitaker is, justly or unjustly, understood to favor." We commend the Times for having ventured to express a suspicion that such sharp practices exist in the Ministry that it i 3 necessary that they should be guarded against The Times might have gone a little further, and asserted that such political immorality does actually exist. Other papers say so, and mention the name of one of Mr. Whitaker's sons in connection with it. The Times itself has published telegrams stating that a Mr. Whitaker, junior, and several other speculators were endeavoring to persuade the Government to forego its claim to 300,000 acres of land beyond Cambridge, Waikato—the same block, we believe, that that the Hon. Mr. Whitaker and others were compelled fco abandon three years ago through the vigilance of the Grey party. Id was not until Mr. Whitaker, senior, wu again invested with the title of honorable, and entrusted with his old portfolio of Attorney-General, that negotitions for this block were renewed. Is not the matter invested with an appearance of suspicion? Truly, someone is needed in the Ministry to watch the manceuvrings of these gentry, and to see that the Colony is not fleeced of another valuable estate, towards the purchase of which it has paid a large amount of earnest money. But Mr. Dick is not the man to do it. The men he would have to deal with have eluded the vigilance of smarter men than he ever was.. A specious argument would overcome his opposition. His Conservative tendencies, his ingenuous ' nature, and his regard for the unblemished characterof the Attorney-General and his colleagues would interpose a barrier to his active opposition to men to utter a suspicion against whom we have been told is nothing les3 than sedition. The late. Liberaf Government, with all its failings, was the only one that dared to breathe a word against these pillars of our empire —these rulers in office op out of office — and it paid for it with its life, This Government is so constituted that it cannot arrest the operations of land speculators. To do so would be to disturb the harmony that now exists in the terial ranks, if not to commit political suicide. The Ministry is now fully con' stituted, notwithstanding the intimation of the Otago Daily Times that there is yet another member to be added to it, and we I see no reason to think more highly of it J than we did before Mr, Dick accepted the • portfolio of Colonial secr That Mr. Dick is henest everybody' who knows him will admit, but this qualification will be but a negative advantage in his dealings with colleagues who need watching, le3t they should take advantage, or remain passive while others take advantage, of their positions.

That the Oamaru Fiw Brigade has, during the short time it has been in existence, done a considerable amount of good, and that the public, aud the insurance companies particularly, have not mven the Brigade that measure of support that it deserves, are matters well known. But that the Brigade is almost on the point of being broken up may be news to the general public. Such is a fact. The members are disheartened and disgusted at the ealdpgss with which their voluntary efforts have been received, and would, we know, willingly disband were it not for a very praiseworthy feeling that they should stick to their colors, as wall as get the Brigade out of debt. This much we learned from the proceedings at last night's maetiug, when several members actually proposed £o-wind up the concern, but were over-ruled by others. That there is a strong feeling of dissatisfaction I amongst the members of the Brigade there is nc denying, and that they have good "rounds for such dissatisfaction must be apparent to everyone when we state that j had it not been for the way in which members have, in addition to giving their time, put their hands into their pockets in order to pay for appliances that should certainly have been placed afc their disposal free of charge, the Brigade would not now have had an existence. The letter read from the Secretary to the insurance companies doing business iu Oamaru afc last night's meeting was quite sufficient to create even a greater amount of dissatisfaction than that which was expressed. The Brigade, anxious to increase its ability to do good, set on foot an inquiry as to the best method of providing a better supply of water at fires, arid a report was prepared and. submitted Ito the insurance companies, with the re- ! suit that the Brigade was coolly referred to the Municipal Council. To our way of thinking this was at once an unwarrantable,, and certainly uneKpected reply, for, if tjie insurance .companies are not interested in having a good sapply of water wherewith to cheek the progress of a fire, nobody is interested in it> Every fresh building that a fire attacks means loss to one or other of their number, and they have: therefore a direct pecuniary interest in] speedy extinguishment. Who, then, is better entitled to provide the means for checking the progress of a fire 1